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Category Archives: Nature

The following excerpts are from ‘How Exactly Wolves Change the Course of Rivers’ by Ray Molina of yourdailymedia.com Mar. 1, 2014

I know you’re thinking that this can’t be possible – just read on!
Just this week ViralNova posted this topic so I thought I’d republish it for those who missed it on Mar. 4, 2014. The video is really a must see.

…Trophic cascade is when the behavior of top predators have a trickling down effect on their environment. Let’s call these predators the “one percent.”The one percent may be vicious killing machines who think only of themselves, but even bad intentions could have good outcomes. We are finding out that their murderous ways can be useful in controlling the over population of herbivores that are eating more than their fair share, which leaves little for a multitude of other animals lower on the food chain.Eventually there will be plenty of wolves, perhaps even too many, and at some point we may need to protect the rest of the food chain from these top predators. But like most things, if not everything, there’s a time and a place.I do wonder about whether or not the Ecosystems would have just found a new way to balance themselves out over time. Who knows how long that might have taken though, or maybe it’s currently happening in ways we cannot yet witness.The main culprit of our Eco failures is you and me through our destruction of habitats through land-developing and hunting and pollution. We really blew it, and now we’re trying to cut our losses by celebrating animals that repair our mistakes.

In the video below, Author/Activist George Monbiot describes to an audience at TED the effects of Wolves that were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in the mid 90’s.He describes how the wolves, in a relatively short period of time, have transformed the landscape and allowed more varieties of life to flourish. And wolves did it in ways we never expected.It’s a humbling reminder of just how connected life on this planet really is.

The original TED talk by George Monbiot, gives numerous examples of how “rewilding” our ecosystem can give us back the earth our predecessors had the privilege of experiencing.

NOTE: There are “elk” pictured in this video when the narrator is referring to “deer.” This is because the narrator is British and the British word for “elk” is “red deer” or “deer” for short. The scientific report this is based on refers to elk so we wanted to be accurate with the truth of the story.

When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable “trophic cascade” occurred. What is a trophic cascade and how exactly do wolves change rivers? George Monbiot explains in this movie remix.

Narration from TED: “For more wonder, rewild the world” by George Monbiot. Watch the full talk, here: http://bit.ly/N3m62h

Kananaskis Country is a giant scenic playground covering 4,257 square kilometers of the Rocky Mountain foothills. There are many ways to explore the region, but Andre Prefontaine chose to venture offroad on horseback (look for his story in the September 2015 travel issue of Canadian Geographic). Guiding him was the charismatic Dewy Matthews of Anchor Doutfitters. For seven days the group moved through the Highwood Range to the Continental Divide and into British Columbia. Here’s a glimpse into their trip.

The group makes their way up to Fording River Pass, along the continental divide, before crossing into British Columbia. After leaving the tree line behind they reached a large stony area where a patch of petrified horn coral dating back to the mid-to-late Cretaceous period, some 66 to 140 million years ago. (Photo courtesy Janet and Mike Michaud)

The group reaches British Columbia after crossing the continental divide. (Photo courtesy Janet and Mike Michaud)

Dewy scans the horizon on day 3, from the summit of a mountain he called the Strawberry Hills. (Photo courtesy Janet and Mike Michaud)

An early morning view of Mount McPhail through the mist. Taken at the third and final base camp along McPhail Creek. (Photo courtesy André Préfontaine/Canadian Geographic)

Photo courtesy André Préfontaine/Canadian Geographic

Three chuck wagons follow the Highwood River as the group makes their way out of the mountain back to High River Junction on the last day of the ride. The wagons contain all the gear and food for the seven-day ride. (Photo courtesy André Préfontaine/Canadian Geographic)

Dewy stands on a fossil patch on the way up to the Fording River Pass. (Photo courtesy Christine Thomas)

Dewy rides to the top Fording River Pass. (Photo courtesy Christine Thomas)

Baby MeBai was only three years old when taken from her mother, Mae Yui, and forced to give rides to tourists in Thailand. Too young and small for the job, the young animal steadily lost weight until she could no longer carry passengers. Elephant Nature Park stepped in, rescuing MeBai with their “Pamper a Pachyderm” program. The reunion with its mother was a lovefest of touching and cuddling. (READ More here)

Baby Elephant Throws a Tantrum

This Little Elephant Loves Cuddling with Humans, Particularly Arthur

World Elephant Day, by Alan Taylor as posted to http://www.theatlantic.com/

Since 2011, August 12 has been set aside as World Elephant Day. Supported by numerous conservation agencies, it’s a day to “spread awareness, share knowledge, and provide solutions for better care and management of both captive and wild elephants,” according to the organizer’s website.

Elephants face numerous challenges, including poaching, habitat loss, exploitation, abuse, and proximity to human conflict and poverty. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists African elephants as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered.” On this World Elephant Day, I present a collection of images of these amazing animals.

I think that the following photo collection is amazing, comprehensive, and ‘tug at your heart’ and worthy of awards galore!!! I’ve only included a few of his remarkable photos today.

Melbourne Zoo’s newest Asian elephant receives a nudge from her mother after going on display to the public for the first time on February 10, 2010.A herd of adult and baby elephants walks in the dawn light with the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, in the background, in Amboseli National Park, southern Kenya, on December 17, 2012.

Elephants spray villagers with water during the Songkran water festival in Thailand’s Ayutthaya province, north of Bangkok, on April 10, 2015.

A five-month-old-orphaned elephant named Tembo plays with his keeper, Thomas Chalice, who has nurtured the elephant at Tony Fitzjohn’s Mkomazi rhino sanctuary in Mkomazi, Tanzania, on June 19, 2012.

An aerial picture taken on April 5, 2013, shows the main herd of elephants in Zakouma National Park, 800 kilometers east of N’Djamena in Chad. Ninety percent of the elephants of the park have been poached in the last decade.

A seven-and-a-half-month-old orphaned elephant calf named Moses cuddles with his adoptive “mother” and foundation owner, Jenny Webb, at sunrise at their home in Lilongwe, Malawi, on October 9, 2012. Moses was found alone and close to death in the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve.

A three-day-old African elephant stands beside an older elephant at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin, Germany, on May 23, 2007.

Enjoy Allan’s full gallery at http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/08/world-elephant-day/401117/#

The blog title may seem frivolous to you folks, but our drinking water is next in line for these dangerous drugs leaching into our water. The three drugs mentioned are three of many abusive drugs.

The following article link to Munchies_ Food by VICE appeared in Drinking Water Canada’s newsletter, ~ “Why Wild Canadian Fish Are on Cocaine and Oxycodone” by Alex Swerdloff July 27, 2015

Bust out your rhinestone snuffboxes and hit up your favorite restroom, party people. It’s time to head up to Ontario’s Grand River. Cocaine, morphine, and oxycodone—among other drugs of abuse, as the scientists call them—apparently flow freely in the waters there.

That’s right. A study recently published in the journal Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry shows that way more fish have been getting their Tony Montana on than we previously believed.

The study, which comes out of McGill University’s Department of Chemical Engineering, focused on the Grand River Watershed in Southern Ontario. The research shows that water discharged from wastewater treatment plants in the area has low levels of the aforementioned drugs in it, which could affect marine life and contaminate local sources of drinking water.

Here’s the problem. Households and chemical plants discharge both figurative and literal crap into the river. A wastewater treatment plant is supposed to clean out most of these contaminants. And some distance downstream, the water then goes through an additional water treatment plant that cleans it further and prepares it for human consumption.

But the study showed that small quantities of drugs were found in the river water coming out of the water treatment plant, and their concentration did not decline with distance downstream from the plant. To make matters worse, the drugs were not removed completely during drinking water treatment.

In short, plants, fish and other living things in the river were swimming in water dosed with small amounts of recreational and prescription drugs. Screw Nemo—these fish seem to have more in common with Rick Ross!

But there could be a solution. Professor Viviane Yargeau, who was the lead author of the study, argues, “Improving our wastewater treatment processes can help clean up our drinking water.”

What’s new about this research is that the scientists found drugs in the water between the wastewater treatment plant and the drinking water treatment plant. Sure, the drinking water treatment plants got most of the drugs out of the water, but not all. Improvements upstream would keep the life aquatic—including plants, insects, and fish—from inadvertently indulging.

It seems to me, however, that the researchers forgot to ask one all-important question: How in the hell does a fish line up a rail without an opposable thumb?

Back to Professor Yargeau. She explains, “We believe that if improvements are made to wastewater treatment plants to protect the sources of drinking water, this will prove a more effective way of dealing with the problem in the long run—as this strategy would also protect the aquatic environment and all the plants, insects and fish that are found there.”

Next to come will be a five-year project to look into improving wastewater treatment to keep contaminants like cocaine out of Canada’s drinking water. But five years is a while away, so the fish will keep partying on in the meantime.

After all, even marine life deserves some booger sugar once in a while.

So folks now the choice is up to you ~ wait for the hammer to fall ~ or be proactive and protect your family’s health right now. We have great options for you as a water treatment system company.

Our RainSoft Reverse Osmosis Water system is exactly what you and I need right now. Martin, owner of Eternally Pure Water Systems, Inc. explains how this system works to provide you with safe, delicious and refreshing drinking water. Watch the video below (truly worth your while) and call us. We’re here to solve all your water treatment problems.

There’s still time for all you amateur, professional or youth photographers to enter your favorite wildlife photo in Nature Canada’s 2015 photo contest. The deadline is August 14th this year. The contest categories are: Canadian Landscape, People in Nature, Nature in Action, Fauna & Flora, Nature Nearby and Favorite Memory in Nature.

Get your cameras ready…Nature Canada is happy to announce the launch of its 2015 Photo Contest!

Last year’s 75th Anniversary Photo Contest was a huge hit. We received over 3,000 entries and the top photos were featured in our 75th Anniversary Calendar as well as at the Canadian Museum of Nature!

Starting May 19th and running until August 14th, we will be accepting photo entries which capture the beauty of Canadian nature all around us. Special prizes from our generous supporters are available for the winners who will be announced.

Our top prize, generously donated by Copper Cayuse Outfitters, is a trip for two on their Historic Li-lik-hel Mine Expedition. According to their website, you will get to ride on trails that were originally cut by the miners and have been pounded in by years of horses transporting the gold ore to the rail-head in the early 1900’s. You’ll spend three days and two nights in BC’s spectacular Coast Mountain Range, exploring the beautiful mountain range between Birkenhead Lake and the Li-lik-hel mine. Recently, this expedition has been officially designated as a Canadian Signature Experience! Read about the experience here.

In case you were looking for inspiration, we’ve created a variety of categories into which you can submit your photo(s)!

Canadian Landscape

People in Nature

Nature in Action

Fauna & Flora

Nature Nearby

Favorite Memory in Nature

There will be Early Bird draws, so get your submissions in early! See our rules and regulations for more information. Congratulations to Cyndy Johnson, winner of the first Early Bird draw of the 2015 contest!

It is our hope that by spending time in nature you will experience and learn about the natural beauty our country has to offer. So get up, get outside, and enjoy the great outdoors!

How to Submit

Make sure to always include the category into which you would like to submit your photo! We would also love to hear the story behind the shot!

Make sure to always identify yourself as either an Amateur, Professional, or Youth photographer.

The following article, “4 Must-See Videos on World Oceans Day” was posted yesterday on EcoWatch The PEW Charitable Trusts | June 8, 2015

The ocean covers nearly three-fourths of the globe and is home to nearly half of the world’s known species—with countless yet to be discovered. It helps support more than 250 million people who depend directly or indirectly on fishing for their livelihoods. Still, human activities increasingly threaten its health. Although 72 percent of the world is covered by the ocean, less than 2 percent of these waters are fully protected.

Global Ocean Legacy, a project of Pew and its partners, works with local communities, governments, and scientists around the world to protect and conserve some of our most important and unspoiled ocean environments. These efforts have helped double the amount of protected marine habitat worldwide over the last nine years. That includes two recent achievements: expansion of the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in September 2014 and the British government’s announcement in March 2015 that it will create the world’s largest fully protected marine reserve in the Pitcairn Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

Research shows that large, fully protected marine reserves are essential to rebuilding species abundance and diversity and protecting overall ocean health. To commemorate World Oceans Day on June 8, we invite you to watch four videos that highlight why fully protected marine reserves are critical to safeguarding these waters and the broader environment.

Caring for the environment has long been an important element of Palau’s culture. For centuries, chiefs have acted to protect these Pacific waters through the traditional “bul,” a moratorium on catching key species or fishing on reefs that provide critical habitat. Commonly referred to as “one of the seven underwater wonders of the world,” Palau’s ecosystems contain remarkable biodiversity, including more than 1,300 species of fish, more than 700 species of hard and soft coral, seven of the world’s nine types of giant clam, and non-stinging jellyfish. Pew was invited by Palau’s president to help create a large fully protected marine reserve in the island nation’s exclusive economic zone.

Located in the southeastern Pacific nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from mainland Chile, Easter Island has a rich cultural and environmental heritage. The island’s monumental sculpted heads have stood sentinel over this natural wonder, known as Rapa Nui in local Polynesian language, for centuries. Ancient Polynesians traveled through Easter Island’s waters for thousands of years using only the stars and the ocean for navigation. While largely unexplored, these seas are known to contain geological hot spots and areas of rare biodiversity that sustain highly migratory fish species. They also are known for ancient seamounts, 8.4 million to 13.1 million years old. Pew is working with the Rapa Nui community and the Chilean government to protect these ecologically important waters.

In March 2015, the British government announced its commitment to create the world’s largest fully protected marine reserve in the waters surrounding the Pitcairn Islands. A small U.K. overseas territory in the South Pacific, Pitcairn has one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world. Within these waters lies one of the best-preserved ecosystems, a complex community of hard and soft corals that is home to hundreds of species of fish, including two found nowhere else on Earth. Pew, on behalf of the Global Ocean Legacy campaign partners, is working with the British government and the Pitcairn Island community to implement the Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve to safeguard this important habitat for future generations.

The Kermadec region, a remote area between New Zealand’s North Island and Tonga, includes some of the most geologically active and biologically unusual features on Earth. Extending in places to a depth of more than 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), the Kermadec-Tonga Trench is the deepest in the Southern Hemisphere, five times deeper than the Grand Canyon. The waters are teeming with birds, whales, dolphins, fish, turtles, and many unique sea creatures, some that exist only there. The area provides important habitat for deep-diving mammals such as sperm whales. Half of the known beaked whales—at least 10 species—are thought to inhabit these waters, perhaps the world’s richest habitat for these rare and elusive animals.

O.K. Canada ~ It’s time once again to enjoy the great outdoors and start snapping your outstanding shots of Canadian nature with your favorite camera and enter this contest. Make sure to check out the fabulous prizes!

Get your cameras ready… Nature Canada is happy to announce the launch of its 2015 Photo Contest!

Last year’s 75th Anniversary Photo Contest was a huge hit. We received over 3,000 entries and the top photos were featured in our 75th Anniversary Calendar as well as at the Canadian Museum of Nature!

Starting May 19th and running until August 14th, we will be accepting photo entries which capture the beauty of Canadian nature all around us. Special prizes from our generous supporters are available for the winners who will be announced.

In case you were looking for inspiration, we’ve created a variety of categories into which you can submit your photo(s)!

Canadian Landscape

People in Nature

Nature in Action

Fauna & Flora

Nature Nearby

Favorite Memory in Nature

There will be Early Bird draws, so get your submissions in early! See our rules and regulations for more information.

It is our hope that by spending time in nature you will experience and learn about the natural beauty our country has to offer. So get up, get outside, and enjoy the great outdoors!